Our Diocesan Interns have been celebrating their successes as their year of serving in churches across the region comes to an end.
At a celebration held at St Matt’s in Burley, the Interns came together with their mentors, line managers and other supporters to worship, look back on their year, and be commissioned by the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines.
This year we have had interns serving at St Peter’s Morley, St Luke’s Holbeck, St Augustine’s Wrangthorn, St George’s Leeds, Holy Trinity Boar Lane, Wortley and Farnley, Lighthouse at St George’s Crypt and St Matt’s Burley.
After starting with sung worship, the Diocesan Director of Interns, the Revd Joanna Seabourne, talked about the vision for our Interns program, saying: “Here in Leeds our aim is to run a scheme that is holistic in nature and prepares people for life long discipleship, growing their roots deep in God.
“It is a year of forming habits of prayer and bible study, worship and service.
“It's a year of being stretched and discovering gifts they never knew they had.
“It's a year of developing transferable skills that can open doors into a huge variety of roles.
“It's a year of discovering more of who God has called them to be and what he has called them to do.”
Joanna then spoke about what some of our past interns have gone on to do, and interviewed one: Elon Sooknanan, who is now the Head of Public Infrastructure Transportation & Tourism for the Environmental Protection Agency in Guyana.
This year’s interns shared some highlights from their year, and thanked their mentors and line managers for all the support while they have been serving.
Before presenting the interns with their certificates, Bishop Nick encouraged them, saying: “Thank you for your service, in all the places you have been.
“Be proud of your achievements.
“This is not the end of the journey, but the beginning, and nothing you’ve learned from this year will be wasted.
“God sees your potential, and calls us to be faithful to him wherever we are.
“I’m reminded of the story of the blind man at Jericho, who Jesus’ disciples called to take heart and get up, because Jesus is calling him.
“That’s my message to you: take heart, get up; he is calling you.”
After the certificate presentation, the Revd Jude Smith, Director of Church Revitalisation for the diocese, presented Joanna with leaving gifts, as she is leaving to take up a new post in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.
Bishop Nick thanked Joanna for her service, and prayed for her.
We are recruiting for our Interns program for the next year, as well as for our Bradford Mission Apprentices.
You can find out more about these by clicking here.
